Stories of George Michael's astonishing generosity have been emerging since his shock death was announced yesterday.

The Wham! star's publicist released a statement at 11pm on Christmas Day revealing that he had died "peacefully at home" at the age of 53.

Fans across the globe are mourning his death of the singing star and sharing their tales of his extraordinary acts of kindness.

He secretly gave much of his fortune away to those in need - including £15,000 to a woman he saw on TV and £25,000 to a debt-ridden stranger he met in a cafe.

Here are some of the tales of the Careless Whisper singer's most generous altruistic giveaways:

1. Anonymously donated £15k for a woman's IVF treatment.

Among them was the incredible tale from Pointless presenter Richard Osman, that the star had anonymously donated £15,000 to a woman who couldn't afford IVF.

Osman, who used to work as an executive producer on Deal or No Deal, shared the story on Twitter, saying: "A woman on Deal Or No Deal told us she needed £15k for IVF treatment. George Michael secretly phoned the next day and gave her the £15k."

George Michael admirably kept his philanthropy a secret

2. Donated £25k to a stranger in debt

Replying to Richard Osman's story, one person said George Michael had once been seen in a cafe helping out a stranger who was crying because she was in debt.

Not wanting her to know he was helping, he gave the waitress a cheque for £25,000 to give to her after he left.

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3. Secretly volunteered at homeless shelter

It has also emerged that George Michael was anonymously volunteering at a homeless shelter, and had asked other volunteers to keep it a secret.

George sporting his signature shades on stage at Nelson Madela fundraiser in 1988

4. Anonymously donated millions to Childline

Childline's founder and president Dame Esther Rantzen told the Press Association: "For years now he has been the most extraordinarily generous philanthropist, giving money to Childline, but he was determined not to make his generosity public so no-one outside the charity knew how much he gave to the nation's most vulnerable children.

"Over the years he gave us millions and we were planning next year, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations to create, we hoped, a big concert in tribute to him - to his artistry, to his wonderful musicality but also to thank him for the 100s of 1,000s of children he helped through supporting Childline."

5. Kept small charities afloat

One woman tweeted to say she had once spoken to someone from a charity who said they were "only afloat" because of George Michael.

George featured in the wildly succesful Band Aid campaign

6. Supported NHS nurses

In 2006, George held a special free concert for NHS nurses to attend in north London.

He announced he would be hosting the event as a special thank you to the nurses who had cared for his late mother.

At the time, nurses who attended spoke to the BBC about how it made them feel.

Susan Steadman said: "He made all of us feel special. People do say thank you, but for George to say it publicly feels good."

Ranjani Kendrick said: "I had the time of my life. It was such a vibrant atmosphere. I thank George Michael for making us feel appreciated.

"We all were so touched by the comments he made. I am glad the work we do has not gone unnoticed."

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7. Donated his royalties

George Michael donated all the royalties from his 1996 number one single Jesus To a Child to charity.

He performed on Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas.

Michael also donated the royalties from Last Christmas/Everything She Wants to Ethiopian famine relief, and proceeds from Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me went to Aids hospice London Lighthouse and the Rainbow Trust children's charity.

George sporting his signature shades on stage at Nelson Madela fundraiser in 1988

8. Paid £5k towards a student nurse's debt

The beauty journalist Sali Hughes revealed that George Michael once tipped a barmaid £5000 because she was a student nurse in debt.

Fans have been moved by stories of their idol's kindness

9. Saved John Lennon's piano

In the year 2000, George Michael bought John Lennon's piano - on which he composed 'Imagine' - for £1.45million from a private collector, vowing to keep it in the UK.

He then donated it to the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool so that it could be kept in Lennon's hometown forever.

Fans are marvelling at how he kept all of these acts of kindness quiet during his lifetime.

Some are being brought to tears, while others are expressing that it's a mark of the man he was.